The lives and works of 13 renowned American poets are interpreted through dramatic readings, archival photographs, dance, performances, and interviews in this inspiring series. Illustrative poems in each program are accompanied by insights into their historical and cultural connections. The series covers the terminology of poetry and the larger role of poets in American and world literature studies. Poets include Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Elizabeth Bishop.

4. T. S. Eliot
Eliot's life, influence, and poetry from the bold originality of "Prufrock" to the
probing, meditative style of "Four Quartets" are explored with photos, archival
footage, and discussion with friends, critics, and scholars. Go to this unit.

5. Robert Frost
Frost's image as elder statesman is vividly contrasted with his vigorous, poetic
exploration of the darker forces of nature and the human condition. Readings and
interviews with the poet reveal compelling insights into his work. Go to this unit.

6. Langston Hughes
Hughes wrote of the beauty, dignity, and heritage of blacks in America. Interviews,
music, and dance performances convey his work and influence, discussed by James
Baldwin and biographer Arnold Rampersad. Go to this unit.

7. Robert Lowell
Lowell's political passion encompasses much of his greatest poetry. Lowell himself
reads from his work. Elizabeth Hardwick, Robert Hass, and others discuss his
development and style as illustrated by "Lord Weary's Castle" and "Life Studies." Go to this unit.

8. Marianne Moore
Funny, formidable, and paradoxical, the poet and her work are analyzed by critics
and friends, including Monroe Wheeler, Grace Shulman, and Patricia Willis. Her
most memorable poems display her power of observation and moral force. Go to this unit.

9. Sylvia Plath
The creative intensity with which Plath confronted her experiences as daughter, wife, mother, and writer is explored in documentary and archival footage intercut with visualizations of her work. Go to this unit.

10. Ezra Pound
The most controversial of American poets — artistic catalyst, legendary confidant, and author of brilliant cantos — Ezra Pound and his poetry and role in the modernist
movement are explored by friends and critics. Go to this unit.

12. Walt Whitman
Brilliant readings of Whitman's poems demonstrate his American vision and style and
vividly convey their poignance and sheer power. Whitman's sources, including
Emerson, the King James Bible, opera, and political oratory, are revealed. Go to this unit.

13. William Carlos Williams
"No ideas but in things," Williams's aesthetic dictum sought to capture, not analyze.
A collage of documentary footage, interviews, animation, and dramatization capture
the poet's often visual work and intense life. Go to this unit.